We’ve been home from our North Carolina Mountains adventure for nearly a week. I’ve spent a lot of this time putting stuff away from that trip and getting things ready for the next one. A special thing I’ve managed to do is take a look several times at all of the trip photos. They can’t help but remind me of the wonderful time we had.

This was an amazingly well behaved and fun-loving group, not that I was expecting anything else. The boys earned several treats thanks to compliments they received. And yes I know I still owe them some of those treats. It was one of the youngest groups we’ve ever had with over half the boys being ten years old. Of course, that means the other half ranged from 11 to nearly 15.

We were busy. It’s amazing how much we found to do not far from home. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the backdrop for several of our adventures. One memorable hike was up to Clingmans Dome where we were encased in clouds and couldn’t see 50 feet in front of us. But who can’t forget how cold it was trying to eat lunch up there before taking the hike. We had had a temperature drop of nearly twenty degrees in just the few minutes drive up the mountain.

Some of the kids saw elk on three different occasions and everyone saw them at twice. Some kids got a glimpse of a coyote. They all saw wild turkey and groundhogs and other assorted creatures including a flock of chickens at the historic farm at the visitor center at GSMNP.

I think even the boys were somewhat moved by the retelling in drama of the life of the Cherokee and their removal along the Trail of Tears at “Unto these Hills.” And the next day we got to visit a living Indian Village and learn even more. Several of our boys even joined in a Native American dance.

We had a few firsts on this trip. One of those was taking the boys into a bank so they could cash their ten or twenty dollar bills for ones (for the vending machines). But for me the most memorable “first” was participating in the Junior National Park Ranger training and being sworn in by a real-life ranger. The “older set” of 13 year olds on up earned their “Not-So-Junior” patch and certificate. And that included me - fulfilling a life-long dream of becoming a national park ranger.

And of course, the boys will long remember the ropes course and zip-line and whitewater rafting at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, the bowling tournament, the horseback trail ride in the Smokies…and more.

During my first year of my travel camp program in 1978 I experienced the enjoyment of participating in a National Park ranger-led program for the first time. And it was way back then that I imagined how cool that would be to serve as a National Park Ranger. Well, years passed, decades passed…and it was never going to happen. But then I thought with retirement all but here, perhaps I could be a volunteer “ranger” at a nearby park like the Carl Sandburg Home or Cowpens National Battlefield site.

And now my dream has been fulfilled. Just this past week, when out adventuring with 22 kids in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I had the honor of having the title of “Not-So-Junior Ranger” bestowed upon me by Ranger Savannah and Ranger Mark (no, not this Mark). And I have the certificate and the patch to prove it!

It all happened while the MindStretch Travel Adventures boys were earning their “Junior Park Ranger” certificate and badge that I found out “not-so-junior” people (anyone 13 or over) could also get involved and become “rangers.” And so, there you have it. A life-long dream fulfilled.

No, I don't have dual nationality...but I do have two passports. In the background is my brand new US Passport which just arrived last week. I'm saving it for next summer's 20-day trip to Europe.

In the front is my other passport, the "Passport to Your National Parks." This passport is a highly recommended souvenir for all MTA participants. It's cheap and it never expires.

It comes with a map of all the units in the National Park system and lots of space to stamp your visit to any of those units. Each park has its own rubber stamp with date that boys use to mark their visit. It's a fun way to keep track of places they've visited.

This summer boys on the North Carolina trip can certainly stamp their passports at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We should also be able to pick up a stamp somewhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Boys on the Colorado trip can certainly gets theirs stamped at the visitor center along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

There should be other places along the way that will also have stamps. So guys, pick up one of these online or at Cowpens National Battlefield or other NPS locations.

With our original trips full, we've decided to put together a five-day blast of fun. We'll be heading back to the North Carolina Mountains basing out of the Cherokee-Bryson City area. We'll be cramming a bunch of fun into the five days and four nights.

This trip is perfect for boy who have never been away on their own or for boys who just can't get enough of a good thing.

Some of our activities will include: rafting on the Nantahala River, building self-confidence on a ropes adventure course, hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, enjoying Unto These Hills, an outdoor production about the Cherokee Indians, touring a living Indian village...and more.

2014 trips are full, though there's still lots to be done to get everything ready. But why wait until those trips are back to hear about the next set of trips? We're excited to announce our programs for NEXT summer and already boys are signing up.

Our BIG trip in 2015 will be an 18-Day adventure in Europe traveling by train. This will be our fifth trip to Europe and next year's program will be the best ever - and for several reasons. We'll be going in June which should cut down on a lot of the other travelers we usually encounter and we'll be following a planned itinerary that's sure to offer great kids activities along with some must-see attractions. Travel between cities and countries is by first-class train using Eurail passes.

Boys will be able to offer itinerary suggestions but so far our itinerary offers a great variety of world-class cities and sites.

We'll fly into Brussels, Belgium and some of the cities we'll be visiting include Bruges, Belgium; Strasbourg, France; Bern, Switzerland; Venice, Italy; Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, Austria; and Munich, Germany.

We'll most likely travel with 14-16 boys. At the moment 13 are already on the roster!

Our domestic trip next summer will be a week in the North Carolina mountains basing out of Cherokee and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This great week offers seven days of outdoor (and indoor) activities that boys will love. Hiking, rafting, geocaching, swimming, horseback riding, train riding, exploring, and more. We'll see the outdoor drama, Unto These Hills, that has entertained millions of visitors over the years.